Check my profile. I'm one of the very few people who managed a 0 year win... ever. A 0 year win doesn't mean that I won on turn 1. It means that it took me less then 52 turns to win. Year 0 translates to 2225(DL) and 2226(DA). A 1 year victory means won in less then 104 turns. Year 1 is 2226(DL) and 2227(DA). I won by late Autumn, 2227 making a 1 year victory.

Is the 4 weeks a month thing DL only? I always calculate the amount of time played by going to the timeline and seeing how many weeks are recorded and dividing by 52. Its always worked out correctly, but that could be just because dividing by 48 isnt too much of a difference.

i've never seen dates other than 1, 8, 15 and 22, so i think DA is 48 weeks as well...

Just you try it... Cloned from Drew Barrymore's DNA, she's worth all the fembots in the galaxy times, like, eleventy!

Btw, is a slave still a slave if the MCC makes them want to work all day for no pay?



Time to dust off my space armor, it looks like. Captain Freedom to Wardrobe... Captain Freedom to Wardrobe...

/obscure?

I've been in RL-imposed semi retirement lately except for the MVL, and I think even the light duties of team captain may be becoming too much. Still, the lure of kicking some alien butt is pulling stronger lately...

The point I made about Dec 22nd is a good one for you to consider. It's always a good idea to extend the game to Dec 22nd just to get full "credit" in your score for the number of game years that you're charged with.

The more I think about winning a game by conques in around 50 turns, the more I know I have a lot to learn about this game. Glad I joined up with T of E and hope the members don't mind questions. Anyway, is it possible to win a game by conquest without invading the AI colonies...that is, without having to research the techs and build transports, and then move transports across the galaxy to the AI colonies? Seems like the minimum number of turns it takes to do this even on a tiny galaxy would not leave enough turns to complete a conquest in 50 turns, but what do I know?

Something else that has me wondering about being an evil race...does this increase the likelihood that AI's will declare war on you, that is, just because you are evil? Does the game play that neutral and good players are not attacked as much? My winning percentage is a lot higher in games where I was the attacker vs games where I was unexpectedly attacked by the AI.

As always, thanks for replies.

well, there are ways to win a conquest victory without actually invading a planet. You could attempt to buy off the AI (literally by up their worlds, note that its nigh impossible to convince the AI to sell some of its worlds but it does happen). Another is to declare war and later have the AI surrender to you. Finally, having all the AI worlds flip to you (culture) but not having the Influence victory enabled will result in a conquest victory.

Note that in any of the above strategies you still need a powerful economy, amassed military might, and generally lots of worlds under your control. Usually, it is just faster to invade.

Being evil doesn't necc. mean the AI will come after you...but it does affect it depending on their own ethical behavior. Being the only one evil empire in a galaxy of Altarians, Torians, and Iconians however...well its gonna be tough going. You get diplomatic benefits being the same ethical alignment as another race, but you also receive detriments if you are not.

As for doing something within a year....it comes down to cost. Each tech, structure, and ship has a specific cost. The more research and manufacturing points you can create, the faster it will be for you to "pay" that cost. Also, in the starting screen, check the speed that you set the research speed to. On metaverse games it will reset automatically to "Normal" so you have to set it each and every time to the speed that you want. I play my games at Fastest but some players, that like long drawn out games will play at Slowest. There are benefits and cons to each.

Thanks, guys, some interesting stuff there.

I've been reading the seminal threads by Wyndstar, Purge and Mumblefratz on strategy for GA, posted by them in October, 2007, and have a question: Were these strategies developed while playing DL, or were they playing DA by that time?

Some of Wyndstar's most vital ideas had to do with the tech speed in the game conditions. I had been playing all my games at normal tech speed, so I thourght I would try one at the fastest tech speed. Just when I thought I was going to win the game, I had to leave for a dental appointment. I hurried back as soon as I could, but the AI's already had photon torpedoes and influence techs to flip my colonies and I only lasted a few more turns.

DA at the time for me, although I have about equal game time on both versions. I know Mumblefratz is still DL. Can't answer for Wyndstar, although if it's the thread I saw, he was DA, because he was talking about extreme planetary colonization. I've found many of the strategies work well between versions though.

i'll try to get in a Giga map before I leave for Michigan tomorrow; see if i can close that gap or hopefully pass it.

Thanks! I do tend to lurk when work is slow!

haha i know right?! i always check the weather before I go; my mom lives right on the lake shore so she gets a lot of lake effect snow and my Mustang just isn't made for those kind of driving conditions. I'm not worried about the temperature, its not that much warmer down here in Indiana.

Well you should well know the 4 seasons that Michigan has: Winter, Almost Construction, Construction, and More Construction.

((I'd should stick deer hunting in there, that's pretty much a state-sanctioned holiday season right there))